title: [Administration of folic acid and other micronutrients to pregnant women in Colombia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize the intake of folic acid (FA) and other micronutrients in medicinal form in a group of pregnant women in Colombia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive observational study. Information was obtained from interviews of pregnant women and from the clinical records of their prenatal check-ups and/or delivery in four cities in Colombia. The sample consisted of 1 637 women seen in 15 institutions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1 315 pregnant women (80.3%) were advised to take FA, and 84% received a prescription, 90.3% of whom adhered to the treatment. FA was provided to 85.6% of them by their health insurance company and 10.7% purchased it themselves. The prescription was appropriate for 0.2% of the women; its use was entirely appropriate for 0.2% of the pregnant women and totally inappropriate for 41.9%. Other micronutrients were recommended to 1 192 women (72.8%), 77.6% of whom received the advice from their physician, with 88.7% adhering to the treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FA and other micronutrients are inappropriately recommended to pregnant women and taken without assessing their individual needs. The usefulness of programs that promote mass consumption of micronutrients in medicinal form during pregnancy should be reexamined. These programs seem not to recognize the fundamental causes of the population's nutritional problems.
authors.affiliation: Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia, jgorozcod@unal.edu.co.
authors.forename: Esperanza
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Holguín-Hernández
authors.forename: José G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Orozco-Díaz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003105:Colombia; D003376:Counseling; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D057970:Inappropriate Prescribing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007356:Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D055118:Medication Adherence; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D057285:Precision Medicine; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012651:Self Medication; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013851:Thinness / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018977:Micronutrients; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D005492:Folic Acid